Continuum Question: People Fighting Corporate Power In the Future Are Terrorists

By spocko, on June 16th, 2013

The following post is about Season 2 episode 2 of the Canadian produced show Continuum that is running on the Syfy. The episode has raised a lot of issues that I want to talk about and this show allows me to do it.

I think that this show is very interesting because it is making who and what the bad guys fighting interesting. Notice the question that Travis asks in this clip.

He is fighting for a version of Occupy in 2077. Income inequality. Corporate power. 1% vs. the 99%. These questions are important to ask, Just how far will you go in your fight? Libr8 isn’t fighting a nation, they are fighting and idea that has gotten out of control. An idea that has fewer and fewer check and balances to it’s power.

As much as I LOVE to talk about time travel, I’d like to focus on what Libr8 is fighting. Corporate power. It’s actually at the heart of the show.

Time Travel is just the way they talk about it like any good SF. This is about now. The show is about about Occupy and the 2008 financial crash. It’s about corporations buying the laws and being above them. And the people who fought back in the future? Labeled as Terrorists. Can you imagine a corporate entity using it’s power to label people fighting them as Terrorists?

Yes, Libra8 killed people. They didn’t kill for god and country which makes killing okay. Kill to protect profits vs. People? This fight was not a nationalist fight. Or a religions fight. This is about fighting a corporate state. In the future things have gotten so bad Libra8 fights the corporations with bombs instead of lawsuits. In the future (now?) the corporations control the government . They get laws passed to protect them and their profits at the expense of the people. (Sound familiar?)

I pulled a clip from this episode where Travis talks about what they are fighting and why.

I think that this show is very interesting because it is making who and what the bad guys are fighting interesting. Notice the question that Travis asks in this clip.

Is Libra8 a version of Occupy in 2077?.. He is fighting against Income inequality and Corporate power. Of course he is more extreme Black Bloc than non-violent Occupy. But clearly they feel that non-violence didn’t work because it didn’t make changes.

Future Alex is the 1%. What Travis is describing is the logical conclusion to the 1% vs. the 99%. They will not give up power without a fight. These questions are important to ask.

The writers are asking, “Just how far will you go in your fight?” Libr8 isn’t fighting a nation, they aren’t fighting Russia or China. But they are fighting an idea. An idea of Corporate capitalism that has gotten out of control. It’s an idea that has fewer and fewer checks and balances to its power. In the past Travis would be branded a Communist or a “leveler.” I don’t know what system he is advocating as much as he is fighting against the system of Corporate control in 2077. Maybe Social Democracy. But he is clearly fighting against OUR system and pointing out the flaws that will get worse in this future. This is the “dark path” that Alex talks about.

We in the US are mostly on this Dark Path and most don’t even notice (like Carlos says).